Download these free documents that will help you on your way to getting fitter...
An Absolute Beginners Guide to getting fitter.
An introduction to getting fitter.
Warming up: Do's and don'ts of a general warm up.
|
How to improve your fitness.
Download these free documents that will help you on your way to getting fitter... An Absolute Beginners Guide to getting fitter. An introduction to getting fitter. Warming up: Do's and don'ts of a general warm up.
|
|
Free fitness articles.
But if you are after a bit more information, below you will find all my articles on getting fitter. Feel free to take a look!
Going to get fitter/stronger in the new year? Avoid these pitfalls…
The new year is here, and statistics show that most of us plan to get fitter, stronger or lose weight in 2012. But statistics also show that only a fraction of us will actually succeed. If you are working out your new year resolutions, make sure you don't fall into any of these exercise and diet pitfalls...
...Click here to read more.
3 golden rules for strength and fitness success…
Do you want to get fitter?
Do you want to get stronger?
Follow these 3 golden rules and improve your chances of success...
...Click here to read more.
Which exercise machine burns the most calories?
Which exercise machine burns the most calories?
This is a very common question. The short answer is:
...Click here to read more.
Over 40% of cancers due to lifestyle, says review
You may have noticed this story in the news:
Over 40% of cancers due to lifestyle.
If not, click here for the story, and click here for an explaination of the story from the excellent NHS "behind the headlines" website (I love this place, it explains the millions of health related stories you read in the papers and helps you decide which ones you can totally ignore!).
If you want to change your lifestyle for the better, click here to download my very simple guide to help you.
...Click here to read more.
My ridiculous advent challenge.
I get bored easily. I have noticed that unless I have some kind of goal to aim for, or unless I have someone keeping me accountable, I can easily put things off until another time (why do something today if you can put it off until tomorrow?).
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Bastards
Name: Bastards.
Also known as:
Main muscles used: Legs, chest, shoulders, arms, heart.
Other muscles used: Everything else.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
Do I need a protein drink?
I was asked a common question the other day. A young lad came up to me and asked if he should be having a protein drink like he sees all his friends having. He trains once or twice a week and when I asked, he said he had no specific goals. He seemed the perfect example of the average lad doing recreational exercise for general health.
This was an easy one to answer...
...Click here to read more.
Video: 100 year old sprinter and marathon runner…what is stopping you today?
Click here for a news link i just came accross. It tells of Fauja Singh, a 100 year old gentleman who took up competitive running at the age of 89!
He sprints 100 metre races and is also aiming for the Toronto Waterfront Marathon today!
This 100 year old guy can do it...how old are you again?
What is your excuse?
...Click here to read more.
Marine Commando Challenge 2011 photos.
We did the Marine Commando Challenge on Sunday. I'll write a report of how much fun it was later...but in the meantime, here are some photos from the day...
...Click here to read more.
This will be me Sunday…
A clip i just found of one of the obstacles i'll be facing tomorrow...
...Click here to read more.
Cross training – training when injured.
My friend was out running in the rain the other day, slipped and twisted her knee. It is now lovely and swollen and she has been advised to avoid too much force going through her knee. So what does she do now? Does she have to lay up for a couple of weeks recovering and possibly losing some of the fitness she has trained hard to gain? Of course not! This is where cross training (and a little imagination) comes in! First of all, here is the usual obvious disclaimer:
...Click here to read more.
Requesting help for the Devon Air Ambulance
I'm doing the 10 km Marine Commando Challenge on October 9th, raising money for the Devon Air Ambulance.
I have a "Just Giving" donation page where anyone can donate money for the charity, and I need your help to get as much donations as possible.
Please click here to go to my page and donate something, and tell all your friends to help me too!
Thank you!
...Click here to read more.
Poll: Why do you train/exercise?
The gym I work at has been refurbished and now all the equipment is brand spanking new. So, we have been spending the last week or so helping people get used to the new toys (showing them how they work, how they are different, what they can do etc).
...Click here to read more.
10km Marine Commando Challenge…here I come!
OK...I think I am going to sign up for the 10k Marine Commando Challenge, so that means I will be hounding anyone and everyone for sponsorships.
...Click here to read more.
44 half marathons down, only 6 to go!
My friend Mark has nearly finished his challenge of doing 50 half marathons in 60 days on the Concept 2 indoor rower. That adds up to over 600 miles! He is doing it to raise money for a local 9 year old girl who fell from a climbing frame, and is now paralised for life.
Well, yesterday, he completed his 44th row, so he only has 6 more to do. His final one is due a week tomorrow (tuesday 30th).
If you havent watched them already, please watch the following 2 videos so you know what he is doing and why. Then please follow this link (click here) and donate any money you can to a very wonderful cause...
...Click here to read more.
Limiting Factors and Weakest Links. What’s holding you back?
Our bodies are very sophisticated, complex things. So complex that usually, many different things have to happen for an end result to be produced. I have talked before about walking. It is an everyday task, but in spite of this it needs:
...Click here to read more.
The Intensity/Duration Curve – or “How come I walk for hours every day, but still get knackered climbing the stairs?”
Do you recognise the following:
"I think I'm reasonably fit. I do a lot of walking (dozens of miles a every week), but I get so out of breath when I climb the stairs/run for a bus/play with the kids. What is wrong with me?"
The Intensity/Duration CurveI recognise it. Every single week someone comes up to me and asks me some version of this question, so here is the answer.
It is all to do with the Intensity/Duration Curve. First of all, here are a couple of definitions:
...Click here to read more.
Sheffield Man Of Steel
Only a couple of weeks until I have a go at the Nettle Warrior challenge! So as a practice run I'm having a go at the Sheffield Man Of Steel tomorrow!
Wish me luck!
...Click here to read more.
New physical activity guidelines for adults in the UK.
"New and important guidelines" have been released today about recommended physical activity levels for people in the UK. Click here to read them and see how you compare.
Here are just a couple of my thoughts...
...Click here to read more.
The Million Metre Row Challenge
The night before the start of 50 half marathons on the Concept 2 indoor rower...
...Click here to read more.
What happens to your training while on holiday?
My friend is going on holiday to Italy for 3 weeks, so she was wondering how will she cope without her regular training 3 times a week?
Holidays can be difficult when it comes to training. So off the top of my head, here are some of the main problems and how we might get over them...
...Click here to read more.
One man, one machine, one million metres!
Half a marathon is 21.1 km, or 21,097 metres long. That is a long way. It takes my friend Mark about 1 hour 20 minutes to row it on the indoor rowers here at work. The British record for his division is 1 hour 13 minutes. So Mark is going at a very good pace, [...]
...Click here to read more.
Training movements, not muscles.
I work in a gym, but I don't think I am your average gym monkey (at least I hope I'm not). I am not interested in isolating muscles and "maximising the burn". Instead, because of my background in Karate, I am more interested in being able to move in strong, powerful, fast and well coordinated ways.
...Click here to read more.
Sprints versus marathons for heart health
I read this story when it came out last month. It shows how multiple, maximal effort sprints had similar effects on health compared to long duration exercise. But after chatting with some people in the gym, I have a couple of problems with the practical implications of it...
...Click here to read more.
Supervised Weight Training Safe for Pregnant Women
A while ago I wrote some posts about exercise during pregnancy (click here, here, here and here). So as an add-on to these posts, I want to direct you to a new bit of research done to test the saftey of resistance training for pregnant women (click here for the abstract).
In short, 32 pregnant women did 12 weeks of low to moderate intensity strength training and it was shown to be safe. So getting pregnant is not an excuse to give up all activity, do nothing and eat loads!
...Click here to read more.
Do less, score more.
Do less, score more.
This is a line I heard a top level coach telling one of his fighters. The fighter was moving around, ducking, weaving, attacking, blocking...generally doing plenty of work and making his presence felt...but he was not actually scoring any points, or getting the job done!
...Click here to read more.
Nettle Warrior, July 31st 2011.
I've actually stopped procrastinating and actually signed up! Yep, Jane asked me if i wanted to give it a go, and before my brain engaged, i just said yes. So this summer, I will be running the Nettle Warrior race...wish me luck!
...Click here to read more.
What makes a fit and capable body?
We should all strive to have a fit and capable body. I don't care if you are:
...Click here to read more.
Stretching before running ‘does not prevent injury’
Stretching before running does not necessarily prevent injury a US study of over 2,700 has suggested. Click below for the full story:
...Click here to read more.
Recommended reading: Being a Woman in the gym: Diary of an Intern
If you are a woman and if you go to the gym, please take 5 minutes to read this:
Almost every other day I talk to a woman in work who refuse to do anything that does not involve little pink dumbells in fear of "turning into a man".
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Supine Leg Lower
Name: Supine Leg Lower.
Also known as: (if you know this by any other name, leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Abdominals, hip flexors.
Other muscles used:
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
Taking regular breaks from desk ‘good for the heart’
Taking lots of breaks from sitting at a desk is good for the waistline and heart health, research suggests.
Research showing that if you sit around all day, you will get unhealthy. But if you regularly get up on your feet (even for a minute or so) you can improve your health.
Click here to download the actual study paper.
...Click here to read more.
Aching like hell after training?
Few weeks ago I wrote a bit on Recovery Strategies (click here). And it was geared more towards those who train harder and more regularly than your average punter.
But it is the new year now, and millions of people have a resolution to get fit, and join up with gyms/exercise classes. So this article is aimed more at that crowd...exercise virgins, if you like!
...Click here to read more.
Happy new year!
In case you didn't notice, it is January, so happy new year!
I've been ill (with sniffles) the last couple of weeks, so to be honest I can't really be arsed to write anything meaninful just yet. So I'm taking the easy route and simply posting the 5 most popular things from this blog over the last year...so here are the things that have attracted the most attention over the last 12 months...
...Click here to read more.
Movement Analysis – See how you move and how it can be improved.
I see my job as helping people move more, and move better. I've been lucky and since I started Karate when I was 7, I have been coached to move well (well = efficiently, safely and with coordination).
And because of this, I notice just how many people move badly (badly = inefficient, unsafe and uncoordinated...click here). These people come in all shapes and sizes, from your average Joe through to your exercise junkie. 
...Click here to read more.
Get the basics right, and the details may not matter at all.
I carry on a lot about getting the basic fundamentals right and not stressing about the little details. This is totally unsexy and not at all what people want to hear when they ask my advice. But what the hell. I'm paid to get results, and I don't have a warehouse full of "Ab-Dominator!" machines to flog.
...Click here to read more.
Pros and cons of working with a training partner.
When people come into the gym I work at during the day, I often encourage them to find/bring a training partner. This one simple thing has many benefits to people who exercise recreationally or train hard. Just some of these benefits include:
...Click here to read more.
Recovery Strategies: What to do after training has finished.
It is a well known, but well forgotten fact that our bodies don't improve during exercise/training. Instead, they improve after exercise/training. Put simply, during training, our bodies are damaged/broken/busted up. And in the hours/days following, our bodies repair/improve/upgrade themselves, and make them just that little bit better than before.
...Click here to read more.
Making use of “dead time”.
A very common excuse for people to give for not exercising, or increasing their activity levels, is that they are simply too busy. They "don't have enough time". Unfortunately, this excuse is bollocks.
...Click here to read more.
Aim for “perfect”, but settle for “good enough”
This is my quote for the day...Aim for "perfect", but settle for "good enough".
This means, be aware of and recognise what you want in a "perfect world", and every day strive to get there. This can mean the perfect job, perfect girlfriend or the perfect move done with perfect technique and perfect timing.
But recognise that this is not a "perfect world", and be happy when you have something that is good enough, effective and does the job.
...Click here to read more.
Army launches ‘improvised’ fitness guide for troops
"The British Army is rolling out an 'improvised' fitness guide to all soldiers operating in isolated spots away from main bases."
Click here for the video.
I absolutely love this kind of "guerilla" exercising. You don't need a gym full of expensive machinery to get you fit and healthy. All you need is your own bodyweight, the environment around you and the indomitable will to do it.
Having said that, I would be doing better exercises than some of those shown on this video...but I think it is clear that they were taking the piss a bit!
...Click here to read more.
Getting ready for Christmas
I have mentioned periodisation before (click here). It is the "big picture" view of training. It is about managing your training in such a way as to maximise your results.
I talkd before about doing things in a certain order, but it also means managing when you can work hard and when you need to ease off to recover. In this way, periodisation works on many time scales, such as:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do a Pullup.
Name: Pull up.
Also known as: Chin up.
Main muscles used: Back muscles.
Other muscles used: Arms.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
The difference between a sweat session and a “clinic”.
Some people have been surprised when watching me coach clients. They have expected a hard, rip-roaring sweat session...pushing people to the max like some drill sergeant.
And to be honest, sometime that is my job. Sometimes I do need to push people out of their comfort zone in order to get them to their goals.
But the main part of my job is not simply getting people to do more (a sweat session).
It is getting people to do better (a technical session). 
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Single Leg Squat
Name: Single Leg Squat.
Also known as: Pistols.
Main muscles used: Legs, bum.
Other muscles used: Hip flexors.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Box Jumps
Name: Box Jumps.
Also known as: (if you know these by any other name, leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Legs, bum.
Other muscles used: Heart.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Tuck Jumps
Name: Tuck Jumps.
Also known as: (if you know this by any other name, leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Legs.
Other muscles used: Hip flexors.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Single Leg Deadlifts
Name: Single Leg Deadlift.
Also known as:
Main muscles used: Bum, legs.
Other muscles used: Back.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Squat Jumps
Name: Squat Jumps.
Main muscles used: Legs, bum.
Other muscles used: Heart.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do the Stepdown.
Name: The Stepdown.
Also known as: The Stepback.
Main muscles used: Bum.
Other muscles used: Legs.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do a Dumbbell Squat Swing.
Name: Dumbbell Squat Swing.
Also known as: Dumbbell swing.
Main muscles used: Legs, bum, back.
Other muscles used: Shoulders, heart.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do a Deadlift
Name: Deadlift.
Also known as:
Main muscles used: Bum, legs, back.
Other muscles used: Forearms, lats.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do the Romanian Deadlift (RDL)
Name: Romanian deadlift.
Also known as: RDL.
Main muscles used: Bum.
Other muscles used: Back.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do the Lunge
Name: The Lunge.
Also known as:
Main muscles used: Legs, bum.
Other muscles used:
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do the Split Squat
Name: Split squat.
Main muscles used: Legs, bum.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do the Side Crunch
Name: Side Crunch.
Also known as: Oblique Crunch.
Main muscles used: Sides.
Other muscles used: Stomach.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Windscreen Wipers
Name: Windscreen Wipers.
Also known as: (if you know these by any other name, please leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Stomach, sides.
Other muscles used: Hip flexors, arms.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do the Wheelbarrow
Name: The Wheelbarrow.
Main muscles used: Stomach, shoulders.
Other muscles used: Hip flexors, arms, most the muscles on the front side of the body.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How To: Do an L-Sit
Name: L-Sit.
Also known as: (If you know this by any other name, leave a comment below).
Main muscles used: Stomach.
Other muscles used: Hip flexors, arms.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Cannonball Situps
Name: Cannonball Situp.
Also known as:
Main muscles used: Stomach, hip flexors.
Other muscles used: Shoulders.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Full Situps
Name: Full Situps.
Also known as: Situps.
Main muscles used: Hip flexors.
Other muscles used: Stomach.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Abdominal Crunches
Name: Abdominal Crunches.
Also known as: Ab crunches, crunches.
Main muscles used: Stomach.
Other muscles used:
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do the Side Plank
Name: Side Plank.
Main muscles used: Stomach and sides.
Other muscles used: Shoulders.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do the Front Plank
Name: The Front Plank.
Also known as: Prone Bridge.
Main muscles used: Stomach.
Other muscles used: Muscles on the front side of the body.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do a Squat Press
Name: Squat Press.
Also known as: Thrusters.
Main muscles used: Legs, bum, shoulders, triceps, heart.
Other muscles used: Stomach, back.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do a Shoulder Press
Name: Shoulder Press.
Also known as: Overhead press.
Main muscles used: Shoulders, triceps.
Other muscles used: Stomach, back.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Buckaroo Burpees
Name: Buckaroo Burpees.
Main muscles used: Shoulders, legs, heart, "coordination & balance muscles".
Other muscles used: Stomach, back, arms.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do a Burpee
Name: Burpees.
Main muscles used: Legs, bum, shoulders, arms, heart.
Other muscles used: Most of the muscles in the body.
Top tips: 
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do a Squat Thrust
Name: Squat Thrusts.
Main muscles used: Shoulders, legs, heart.
Other muscles used: Stomach, arms.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Mountain Climbers
Name: Mountain Climbers.
Also known as: Single leg squat thrusts.
Main muscles used: Shoulders, legs, heart.
Other muscles used: Stomach, arms.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
How to: Do Bodyweight Squats
Name: Bodyweight Squats.
Also known as: Air squats.
Main muscles used: Legs, bum.
Other muscles used: Back.
Top tips:
...Click here to read more.
Targets: Why some are better than others
First thing I want to say is, targets are good. They help people reach goals. If nothing else, they can be used as stepping stones towards an ultimate goal. They can show the direction to go, your rate of progress in that direction, and they are a good psychological tool making the whole journey more "do-able".
Some examples of these targets include:
...Click here to read more.
Background Activity, Active Design and New York
I've talked before about increasing a persons "Background Activity" (click here, and here) to help improve their health and weight. And it looks like New York city has the same idea!
Click here for a BBC documentary about how architects in New York are trying to make it harder for people to get about in order to give people more exercise.
...Click here to read more.
Periodisation – what, why and how
What is periodisation?
To me, periodisation is:
"Specialising in different things, in different phases, over a period of time, in order to bring them all together at the end."
For example, if I were to build a house, I would divide the project up into the following phases:
...Click here to read more.
Strength and strength training – What, how and for who.
Many people (including some experienced athletes) tend to equate strength training with bodybuilding...thinking that both are one and the same. But there is more than one type of strength and as such there is more than one way of training for strength.
Here is a quick run down of the major forms of strength...
...Click here to read more.
Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will.
I was coaching a general circuit training session, and we had a couple of minutes left before we had to finish. We could have just left it there. But instead we did one last flying lap round the circuit.
...Click here to read more.
Getting back into training after a break.
I was coaching a nice lady who was back after having a months break. She has a fantastic attitude, but was killing herself trying to do the same things as before she stopped. As normal, I am going to try to take a step back and take the long view. So here are my recommendations for getting back into training after a break...
...Click here to read more.
NICE guidelines for managing your weight before/during/after pregnancy.
The National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have released weight management guidelines for women before/during/after pregnancy. You can take a look by clicking here.
I'm the first to admit I am no expert in this department, so if you are, let me know where I'm going wrong. But the guidelines are 60 pages long, so here are some of the bits that caught my eye...
...Click here to read more.
From the General to the Specific – How to get good at absolutely anything.
So you want to get good at something? It could be getting good at your sport, your diet, your job, your relationship or your school subject.
But there are good and bad ways to go about this. One of the best ways is to work from the general to the specific.
This means you spend time getting the fundamental, foundation principles right before worrying about the minute details. Get good at the general stuff first, then move on to the specifics. For example:
...Click here to read more.
Do you have a healthy lifestyle?
Some things are just more important than others.
Some things just need to be nailed before others.
Some things are just so fundamental that without them, other things are simply not going to work.
Some examples include:
...Click here to read more.
Fat and fit
I think I depressed one of my work colleagues today. I was showing them the scales that work out your body fat percentage. Unfortunately it gave a higher percentage than they hoped (it classed them as obese).
So he asked how can he be classed as obese if he does so much training?
Well, fitness and fatness are two different things. Here in the UK, they do usually go hand in hand. In other words, most fat people you meet will also be unfit. But this isn't always the case. 
...Click here to read more.
Common mistake: “What’s the best thing for…?”
A common mistake I've seen from many people I have trained with (from absolute beginners to those who are really very good). They want to know "The best thing for..."
...Click here to read more.
Good luck Marion!
I want to say a big good luck to Marion who is running the Edinburgh marathon this Sunday!
I've been watching her train and encouraging her this past year and she has been absolutely fantastic! She is retired and last year decided she was going to run a marathon. It has been a difficult year with lots of ups and downs, but she has consistently trained and is going to go for it this Sunday.
Her attitude is better than that of athletes a third of her age, and we can all learn something from her.
...Click here to read more.
Congratulations to Bex!
Just a quickie to say a huge well done to my friend Becky who won her second amature boxing match over the weekend.
She travelled a round trip of 11 hours(!) and her opponent threw in the towel half way through the second round. She has been working very hard on her conditioning recently, but so far she hasn't had a fight long enough for it to pay off! But that fight will come, and when it does she will be ready for it!
Well done again Bex!
...Click here to read more.
Inspiration…what is stopping you today?
We all have reasons or excuses why we can't do something. Sometimes it is because we don't have enough time, or it is too difficult, or we have forgotten our trainers today, or we're feeling a bit hungover after last night.
But watch and read this short news story here about a group of wounded former and serving British soldiers who are in training to trek to the north pole next year. Their injuries include paralysed arms and amputated legs and any psychological traumas that accompany them.
...Click here to read more.
Are you born fit/strong/fat or do you become fit/strong/fat?
I managed to have a lie-in this morning, and I ended up hearing this short discussion on the radio (click here to listen. It lasts less than 6 minutes). They were asking if great athletes are born, or are they made through training?
And the line that really caught my ear was:
"...the limiting factor in the vast majority of sports and most real life situations, is software"
...Click here to read more.
Consistency part 3
OK, after this and this post, this will be the last rant about consistency. But this comes about after spending 2 hours(!) in a waiting room yesterday with nothing but a pile of trashy womens magazines for company.
...Click here to read more.
Consistency…an update.
Following on from my previous post about consistency, a couple of people came up to me to ask:
"So shouldn't I change my current workout then?"
Due to me never reading my posts before I publish them, I want to be a politician for a moment and "clarify" what I meant...
What I meant to say was...
...Click here to read more.
Consistency
A very important factor that decides if an outcome is achieved or not, is consistency (simply doing something time and again and again and again).
Do the following stories sound familiar?
...Click here to read more.
This weeks circuit training sessions was…
It was the first week back off the easter hols, so we had a nice easy session this week.
The group was split into 2 groups, and they alternated between shuttle runs and the following exercises...
...Click here to read more.
Fitness tests for kids in school.
Englands chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, has called for "routine fitness tests" for secondary school children in an attempt to fight childhood obesity and inactivity levels. Click here for the story.
...Click here to read more.
Are you getting value for money?
It has been a quiet day in work today. Only a couple of people booked in to coach, and I couldn't convince anyone else to play with me.
So I had to watch a group of young lads playing with the freeweights for 2 hours and must have done about 50 different exercises with the weights. They were having great fun, they never stopped doing something the whole time and they left slapping eachother on the back congratulating for a job well done.
...Click here to read more.
Keeping it simple brings real results
A regular in the gym I work at came up to me asking for newer, more elaborate exercises, because the ones she is doing now "aren't working".
Now I'll be the first to admit that there is nothing wrong with doing new, funky exercises...but do them for the right reasons.
...Click here to read more.
Exercise during pregnancy: Update
After yesterdays post about exercise during pregnancy, there was a question about what specific reps and sets of resistance should be done.
So here goes...
...Click here to read more.
Exercise during pregnancy.
A good friend of mine just got herself pregnant again (congratulations Sarah!). So I thought I would quickly go over some recommendations for her and others in her predicement ;)
...Click here to read more.
Its official: The importance of Background Activity.
A couple of weeks ago I explained how many people go to the gym, but don't get the improvements in their weight/health that they want.
And guess what? The government has just agreed with me!
...Click here to read more.
What gets measured gets managed
Over the weekend I heard a couple of people in suits say:
"What gets measured, gets managed".
They were talking about their business, but it applies wonderfully to exercise.
If you are serious about changing/improving some aspect of your health/fitness/performance/weight, it is essential to tke measurements. If you don't know where you start from, how do you know if you are getting better/worse/staying the same?
Whenever I bring the subject of measuring with trainees, they often say:
...Click here to read more.
Background and Peak Activity. What are they and how are they different?
As I have said before, to change ourselves physically, we have to change our behaviour and habits. To change anything successfully, we need to know the starting point. A simple but effective way to find out a persons current activity levels is to look at their Peak Activity and Background Activity.
So what the hell are they?
...Click here to read more.
Back to basics for the “holy trinity”
Most people start exercising for one or more of the "holy trinity":
* To lose weight
* To get fitter
* To get stronger
Here are the most basic things to remember about how to get them...
...Click here to read more.
People with disabilities shouldn’t be in the gym
"People with disabilities shouldn't be in the gym."
That's what I learned this morning and I'm still furious! Here's the story...
...Click here to read more.
|
|
